The Vodacom Premier League’s penultimate
weekend was a drama-filled one. Here are the talking points from what was a
pivotal weekend of action…
 |
| It was a contrasting weekend for Bantu and Linare... |
Lioli
slip, Matlama rejoice
The Vodacom Premier League title race
will indeed go down to the final day of the season, it was the wish of all
Lesotho football lovers but it is not so good for the hearts of those connected
to the two contenders, Lioli and Matlama.
After doing the hard-work of beating
Matlama two weeks ago, Lioli could have all but wrapped up the title with victory
over relegation-threatened Rovers on Saturday. However, the champions were held
to a surprising goalless draw by a determined Rovers side which means the race
is not over.
Thanks to Matlama’s 2-1 win over LCS,
Lioli’s lead is only a point. It means Tse
Nala have to beat Linare on the final day; any other result for Lioli would
hand Matlama the unlikeliest of championships if Tse Putsoa defeat Kick4Life.
Whatever happens, this has all been very
exciting. This is the latest the league title has been decided since the 2010/11
season when LCS pipped LDF on the final day of the campaign. We love drama.
LCS
are already on holiday
Perhaps it should have been expected
that Matlama would beat LCS. Masheshena
have been on holiday since losing to Bantu early last month.
LCS were four points behind Lioli at the
time and still had an outside chance of winning the title but the defeat to
Bantu ruled Mpitsa Marai’s charges out of the championship reckoning. With a
top four spot already secured, Masheshena
clearly saw little to play for after that. LCS haven’t won a league game since,
scoring just twice in four matches. Masheshena
did not waste time; they started their pre-season holiday early.
Bantu
out of top four, Sandawana in
Bantu were beaten 3-2 by Sandawana in an
action-packed Vodacom Premier League encounter yesterday in Butha-Buthe. It was
another loose display from Bantu who saw Litšepe Marabe score a wonderful
free-kick but the defence once again offer little resistance. A Matšo Matebele have conceded 10 goals
in their last four games. Needless to say, Bantu haven’t won in their last four
games.
It has been a bitterly disappointing end
to a bitterly disappointing season. Even their memorable penalty shootout
Independence Cup triumph over Lioli last November doesn’t mask a terrible
season.
Much to the dismay of their suddenly successful
fans, Bantu have failed to hit the heights of the past three seasons. Bantu, who
were promoted back to the Premiership in 2009, spent their way to the top. They
won the Independence Cup in 2011, 2012 and 2013. They won the LNIG Top 8 last
year and Bantu snagged the big one as well, the league title in 2013/14.
There will be changes for sure in Mafeteng
in the off-season. Coach Bafokeng Mohapi certainly seems unlikely to return.
Bantu still possess a star-studded squad and a finish outside the top four is a
disaster for a club that hasn’t finished outside the top two for the past three
years.
For Sandawana it is a miracle. It is a mini-Leicester. Sandawana were not given
much chance of a top eight spot let alone a top four finish when the season
started. But, financed by club-owner and traditional healer ‘Thato “Sandawana”
Nkone and guided by coach Bob Mafoso, they have produced a top four place, with
a game to spare. In fact, Sandawana could finish as high as third if LCS continue
their vacation when the sides meet on the final day.
 |
| Liphakoe fans will get to enjoy top-flight football again next season |
Linare
survive, relegate Leribe neighbours Mphatlalatsane
Linare left it late again to secure their
Premiership status. It is becoming a worrying trend for the once proud club.
Last season Tse Tala again only secured survival on the penultimate weekend of
the season when they beat LCS 2-0. At least Linare live to fight another day
which more than what Mphatlalatsane can say. Like Linare, Linaleli had been flirting with relegation for too long and it
finally opened its arms. The plight of Linare and Mphatlalatsane also illustrates
the miserable state of affairs in Leribe football by the way. A team from
Leribe has now been relegated from the Vodacom Premier League for the past four
seasons.
Rovers
and Likila United duel for survival
Thanks to results from the weekend,
Liphakoe secured their premiership spot without kicking a ball. That is very
cool for them.
Liphakoe’s game against LDF yesterday was
rained off, but thanks to Likila’s 3-1 loss to LMPS on Saturday, the Quthing
side cannot finish any lower than 12th.
That leaves us down to Rovers and Likila
in the line to join Mphatlalatsane on the taxi to the first division. Likila
are in front of the line, in fact, they already have one foot inside the taxi.
Thanks to their inferior goal difference (four goals worse than Rovers), Likila
have to beat Mphatlalatsane on the final day and hope Rovers lose to Liphakoe
in Quthing.
It is possible that Likila can survive.
It is possible that they can score a five-goal
win over a relegated Mphatlalatsane with little to play for which would lift
them over Rovers, even if the Dynamites
get a point against Liphakoe. There is also no guarantee Rovers will come away
with anything from Quthing anyway.
But, this is a bad situation for Likila,
who finished sixth last year. Rovers did themselves a world of good with their
unexpected point against Lioli and they will surely carry that positivity into
this weekend’s judgement day.
As things stand, Likila are favourites
to join Mphatlalatsane on the highway to the first division.
#LPL
Results:
Saturday,
7th May
LCS 1-2 Matlama (15:00, LCS)
LMPS 3-1 Likila United (15:00, PTC)
Lioli 0-0 Rovers (15:00, Setsoto
Stadium)
Sunday,
8th May
Linare 1-0 Mphatlalatsane
Sandawana 3-2 Bantu
Liphakoe v LDF (postponed because of
rain)
Likhopo v Kick4Life (postponed because
of rain)
Vodacom
Premier League Table
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Pts.
|
||
1
|
Lioli
|
25
|
16
|
8
|
1
|
38
|
10
|
28
|
56
|
2
|
Matlama
|
25
|
17
|
4
|
4
|
42
|
22
|
20
|
55
|
3
|
LCS
|
25
|
12
|
7
|
6
|
24
|
14
|
10
|
43
|
4
|
Sandawana
|
25
|
12
|
5
|
8
|
27
|
25
|
2
|
41
|
5
|
Likhopo
|
24
|
9
|
9
|
6
|
27
|
19
|
8
|
36
|
6
|
Kick4Life
|
24
|
8
|
10
|
6
|
21
|
21
|
0
|
34
|
7
|
Bantu
|
25
|
9
|
6
|
10
|
24
|
19
|
5
|
33
|
8
|
LDF
|
24
|
7
|
10
|
7
|
22
|
20
|
2
|
31
|
9
|
LMPS
|
25
|
6
|
11
|
8
|
25
|
28
|
-3
|
29
|
10
|
Linare
|
25
|
6
|
8
|
11
|
26
|
30
|
-4
|
26
|
11
|
Liphakoe
|
24
|
5
|
10
|
9
|
19
|
28
|
-9
|
25
|
12
|
Rovers
|
25
|
5
|
7
|
13
|
14
|
28
|
-14
|
22
|
13
|
Likila United
|
25
|
5
|
5
|
15
|
17
|
35
|
-18
|
20
|
14
|
Mphatlalatsane
|
25
|
3
|
6
|
16
|
19
|
46
|
-27
|
15
|
No comments:
Post a Comment